Quick Slant is an array of brief insights and occasionally opinionated overviews of collegiate athletics in general and the Vanderbilt Commodores in particular.

A busy homecoming weekend actually starts Thursday night with the first game in baseball's Black and Gold Series. Friday activities include a McGugin Center Open House (11-1) open to all, and a talk by Athletic Director David Williams at 2:30 in Rand Hall, also open. Before and during Saturday's football game, VU will host former letterwinners including members of Hall of Fame Bowl team celebrating the 30th anniversary of that game. A three-minute fireworks show will conclude the evening.

Imagine some fresh-faced intern at McDonald's having the brilliant idea to change the golden arches to green stripes or swapping Apple's iconic logo for a tree. No way it would happen; too much equity, too much public recognition, too much value in those marks. Why then do some college football coaches do this willingly? Schools whose long-term success has earned the coveted distinction of owning an instantly recognizable helmet change them into unrecognizable blobs for what - some 17-year old recruit with no appreciation for tradition? These coaches willingly do what successful companies wouldn't at any price.

Bill Powell of Springfield, Tenn., called the other day and wondered if his dad, Will Ed Powell, age 92, is our oldest living football alum. Good question. Will Ed played when Bear Bryant was our assistant coach in 1941-42. If you know an older living Commodore athlete (regardless of the sport), please let us know.

If you have football game tickets at will call this week, Vanderbilt Athletics is providing a drive-thru ticket pick-up beginning Wednesday for fan convenience. Just roll through the McGugin Center parking lot and staff will be there to get your tickets without the need to exit your vehicle. This is especially helpful this week since there are several thousand tickets at will call.

Can anyone suggest a better football head coach to me over the past 20 years than Kansas State's Bill Snyder? This guy took what had been regarded as the worst program in the nation, built it into a consistent BCS bowl force (once reaching No. 1 in the polls), retires only to watch the program sink back into mediocrity, comes out of retirement in his late 60s and now has an undefeated team rated in the Top 4. That is impressive.